From an October 7 warning to Lebanon tensions: Pressure mounts on Netanyahu

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to dismiss as a “false accusation” a report that could deal him a major political blow ahead of parliamentary elections on October 27.

The report, published by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, said Netanyahu received a secret phone call from UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan just days before October 7, warning him that Hamas was preparing a major attack against Israel.

According to the newspaper’s investigation, a UAE representative provided Netanyahu with an encrypted phone that was used for the call and destroyed immediately afterward. Haaretz reported that Netanyahu ignored the warning and did not pass the information on to Israeli security agencies.

The report could have significant electoral implications, prompting Netanyahu to file a defamation lawsuit against Haaretz.

The controversy comes as Israel’s election campaign officially gets underway with the submission of candidate lists.

It has also heightened concerns among Israeli security and military officials that Netanyahu could seek to escalate tensions, particularly on the Lebanon and West Bank fronts.

The developments come as the Israeli military continues large-scale exercises involving all of its units, simulating infiltration scenarios targeting Israel by air, land and sea.

Meanwhile, orders have been issued to reinforce Israeli forces along the Lebanon front and reduce military leave.

An Israeli security report also indicated that Hezbollah is preparing for what it described as guerrilla warfare. Military intelligence assessments suggest such tactics could include planting explosive devices, using explosive drones, and potentially carrying out attacks against Israeli military positions.